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SADC initiative to harmonize seed policies advanced
by Wallace Mawire
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) initiatives on harmonization of seed policies are at an advanced stage with only a few countries still to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The initiatives are being conducted under the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) Harmonized Seed Security Project.
According to Dr Lindiwe Sibanda, FANRPAN CEO and Head of Mission, farmers in the SADC region remain seed insecure due in part to conflicting seed laws, regulations and procedures.
These are reported to hinder the timely movement of seed across the region's borders.
Sibanda says as a solution, FANRPAN has proposed the seed policies harmonization to increase seed flow across national borders.
She says there is n...